It’s not that I can’t wedge a slice of pizza into Kenya’s LapTop Lunch Box, it’s just that it can be a bit of a challenge. When kids open their school lunch, the first thing they’ll likely judge their food on is it’s appearance, so a piece of pizza that’s been smashed to fit in the box, doesn’t seem like the easiest sell — no matter how much they love it.

Pin

That was part of the reason that I came up with these Pizza Pinwheels. If you tune in to weelicious enough, you know that we make a lot of pizza in our house and coming up with new recipes for how to present it besides the everyday slice with tomato and cheese is part of the fun for me.

Pin
Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!

These pinwheels are really like a pizza “sandwich” because the filling is savory, kind of like a ham and cheese sandwich, but much cooler looking. They almost dare you not to eat them. It’s also a versatile recipe in that you can substitute your fillings to fit your mood (see the recipe below for suggestions). Whether you decide to replace the ham with turkey or chicken or even go with just traditional red sauce and cheese, these Pizza Pinwheels will have your kids coming home from school asking for more!

Pin

Pizza Pinwheels

These pinwheels are really like a pizza "sandwich" because the filling is savory, kind of like a ham and cheese sandwich, but much cooler looking.
No ratings yet
Servings: 4
Author: Catherine McCord
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients  

  • 1 pound pizza dough, recipe linked below
  • 2 tablespoons dijon or yellow mustard
  • 1 cup chopped ham
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees
  • Roll out pizza dough until 1/4 inch thick and the shape of a large rectangle (about 18 x 12 inches).
  • Evenly spread the mustard on the dough, and sprinkle the ham and cheese on top.* 
  • Starting with end nearest you (the long end of the rectangle), roll the dough away from you, creating an even cylinder as you go (similar to a jelly roll).
  • Lightly sprinkle some flour on top of the roll (so it’s easier to cut) and using a serrated knife, cut the roll into 1 inch discs (pinwheels).
  • Place pinwheels on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and lightly press them with the palm of your hand to slightly flatten and bake for 12-15 minutes.

  • To Freeze: After rolling up the dough, cut the roll in half and freeze for later. When you are ready just take it out and let it thaw to room temperature then cut them into pinwheels and follow the steps 7-8. Or you can just cut the entire roll in pinwheels and place some pinwheels on a baking sheet, freeze for 30 minutes then place them in a ziploc bag, label and freeze. But be sure to always let the pinwheels come to room temperature then bake.
  • * can also be made subbing the mustard and ham with tomato sauce and favorite pizza topping such as pepperoni, onions, peppers, olives, leftover vegetables and more. 

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 45kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 135mg | Fiber: 1g
Did you make this recipe?Mention @Weelicious or tag #weelicious!

About the Author

Catherine is a mama of three. A Kentucky girl living in California. Here’s what I know: all kids can be great eaters and mealtime must be easy. I create simple, healthy recipes the whole family will love.

Comments

  1. I always pack an ice pack with lunch just to be extra certain everything is kept at a safe temperature! With hot foods, I let them cool completely on the counter before placing in the fridge or in the lunch box. I usually pack lunch at night after dinner so the entire lunch stays in the fridge all night.

  2. can you please detail how you deal with the pizza wheel for instance, if you make them the night before you are going to put them into your child’s lunchbox? (Cooling time, wrapping etc.) And do these need an ice pack, or do they stay safe until lunchtime? Thank you! yes, I man one of those moms that need every detail 😉

  3. […] bentos for the week. Really wish I had gotten a pic of yesterday’s….pizza pocket and pizza pinwheels plus sauce for dipping, edamame and carrots. […]

  4. Hi,
    how would you make this without pizza dough? Could you use tortillas? Or thin rolled out bred?

    Thank you,
    Hannah

  5. Just wondering if you can make these the night before and then serve them in the late morning. Trying to plan easy birthday meals.

  6. Love this site I came across it through another site. cant wait to order your new cookbook

  7. Do you bake these in the morning before making a school lunch (and put them in fresh) or the night before?

  8. Made these for lunch today, yummy! I love that I could freeze half for later, great time saver. Thanks!

  9. You really need it to reach room temp so the dough cooks thoroughly, take a look at the freezing directions at the bottom of the recipe. You can refrigerate too 🙂

  10. Can you make this ahead, refrigerate it and pop it in the oven later? I don’t have much time at dinnertime, so I’d love to be able to make this in the morning, let it sit in the fridge all day, and take it out at dinnertime and pop it in the oven. Or do I still have to wait for it to reach room temp?

  11. Instead of mustard could you use pizza sauce and make it more like real pizza? Is there a reason you choose mustard instead?

  12. Amazing! Thank you so much!

    I baked them for a picnic lunch for a change instead of sandwiches. They were a huge hit, especially with the kids. They are fab cold too!

  13. sheryl, you just did and they were awesome and it’s what brought me to this page.
    btw… what was the other option you made? desmond ate the ham mustard.

  14. I used TJ wheat dough and cooked at 450 for just over 12 mins and they turned out great. I can’t wait to make there for a party.

  15. Did you let it come to room temperature first? If you roll it out too thin, you will get holes.

  16. This was a big hit with the whole family, thanks! Any tips on working with the TJ’s dough? Had trouble rolling it out to the large rectangle without holes. Will definitely be making this one over and over!

  17. I have the weelicious whole wheat pizza dough frozen. Do I let come to room temp, then prepare or cook for 400 on 7 min and then…?

  18. Yes! After rolling up the dough, cut the roll in half and freeze for later. When you are ready just take it out and let it thaw to room temperature then cut them into pinwheels and follow the steps on cooking. 🙂 Or you can just cut the entire roll in pinwheels and place some pinwheels on a baking sheet, freeze for 30 minutes then place them in a ziploc bag, label and freeze. But be sure to always let the pinwheels come to room temperature then bake. This is a great snack!

  19. Dori, thanks so much for the heads up- I also needed to lower temperature. (I used homemade dough. I don’t know if that made a difference.) Catherine, thanks for this and all the other wonderful recipes. These were delicious and a big hit! 🙂

  20. So sorry to hear that, every oven is different. Did you buy pre-made dough? I buy the ones from Trader Jo’s and on the instructions it says to cook them at 450. Also your oven temp setting could be high. Or even the altitude can affect it. I hope you try them again at 425. Let me know!

  21. I just followed this recipe to the letter and it all burnt. Every last one. I used parchment paper, and even that started to brown. 450 for 12 minutes is WAY too high.

    I cooked the last 4 pieces that didn’t fit on the cookie sheets in the first batch at 425 for 10 minutes and that was perfect.

  22. brilliant…can’t wait to try this for my 17 month old who hasn’t mastered feeding herself with utensils without making a huge mess. she is super independent though, so these will be perfect! thanks!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating